North Chicago fire chief heading to Women's March Chicago with donations for the homeless

Frank Abderholden / News-Sun

North Chicago fire Chief Dell Urban and Battalion Chief Josh Rickabaugh show some of the bags that Urban will hand out to the homeless when she goes to Chicago on Saturday for the Women’s March.

North Chicago fire Chief Dell Urban and Battalion Chief Josh Rickabaugh show some of the bags that Urban will hand out to the homeless when she goes to Chicago on Saturday for the Women’s March. (Frank Abderholden / News-Sun)

Inspired by last year's Women's March Chicago, Dell Urban is going again Saturday, but while there she plans to pass out 100 bags filled with toiletries, food and clothes to homeless people in Chicago.

Urban, the North Chicago fire chief, attended the January 2017 march that drew so many people it had to be moved from its original location to the lakefront. This week, she recalled how she almost didn't go.

"We didn't have any plans," she said of her and her girlfriend. "But it was such a beautiful day, and I love photography, so we decided to go.

"We were overwhelmed by the number of people. We went to the wrong spot at first, but a police officer directed us to the lakefront. They found a platform with a bird's-eye view of the rally, and they embraced the energy of the crowd. It was amazing."

Urban added with a laugh that some of the fun was just looking at the protest signs some people had made.

"People can be so creative," she said, though she noted that not all of the signs were necessarily family-friendly.

All told, she added, "I'm so glad I went," saying participants in the march fed off everyone's energy.

Urban planned to attend this year's Women's March Chicago, but before Christmas she was moved by several news stories she read and saw about how homeless people were being cleared out of some viaducts in Chicago. She said one older woman really touched her heart when the woman told a reporter that she lost everything she had, even Christmas presents.

"That struck me," Urban said. "Here was someone that had nothing but was still willing to give."

So Urban decided to collect toiletries, food and clothing that she could bring to Chicago to hand out to the homeless before going to the march in an effort to show them someone cares.

"We were going to deliver the bags and then go and be a part of history," she said.

She posted on Facebook and let people know what she was doing, and before she knew it, there were items coming from everywhere, including friends and relatives.

"I had no idea it would turn into such a movement. I've heard from childhood friends in Wisconsin, friends in Wadsworth and other fire departments, even from people I didn't even know," Urban said. "I have a niece in Alaska (who) sent a huge care package that she and her people at her work had put together for me."

Dell Urban

North Chicago fire Chief Dell Urban said she enjoyed the energy and camaraderie of the 2017 Women’s March Chicago, where the photography buff took lots of pictures. She even ordered some of the posters she saw to decorate her home, like this one in front of Roosevelt University.

North Chicago fire Chief Dell Urban said she enjoyed the energy and camaraderie of the 2017 Women’s March Chicago, where the photography buff took lots of pictures. She even ordered some of the posters she saw to decorate her home, like this one in front of Roosevelt University. (Dell Urban)

According to Urban, the donations for the homeless are "filling my house, garage and car." She enlisted her friends to help pack the bags and get them ready for distribution.

Urban began her career in the fire service in an odd way.

"My brother Lonnie dragged me over to the Newport Fire Protection District, and that was it. Thank goodness I listened to him for once," she said with a laugh. Her brother is a retired Lake County sheriff's deputy.

This year marks Urban's 30th year in the fire service, and despite being one of the trailblazers as a woman chief and some of the bumps that had to be overcome, she said she wouldn't change it for the world.